From Shadows: Chapt. XVII - New Recruits

October 5, 2016
"1 of my 4 have fled from here, and it's generated mass betrayals across all of our headquarters. The two free states I left of their small arms have grown fast. The Resistance has new powers. Mr. Rommel, it's time for Operation Topple. I'll gather my men and you'll gather yours. Meet at 1500 and march to the north, west, and south. Head to the Pacific coast and eliminate any enemy you encounter."
     75,000 of the Shadow Army, led by the King and Erwin Rommel, departed from DC on an objective to cripple LSM/SR forces. Armor ranged from the design of a Tiger II to a Panzerkampfwagen VIII. Engineers had developed the new and improved V4 Rocket. Firearms went from AR-15+M4A1 to UMP-45+MG36. With a sleeker and smaller shape, a 10-hour long fuel supply, a smaller, yet more powerful engine, a payload of 12,000 kilograms, and a production rate of 10 every 4 hours, they grew confidence that no human nor Shadow would be able to stand up to it.  
     The northern soldiers went to the states bordering or near Canada. The southern soldiers went to the states bordering the Atlantic and Mexico. The western soldiers went through any state in front of them. 18 hours after their departure, they'd already covered 15 states.
October 6, 2016
     At 10 PM, severe thunderstorms came across the Midwest and South. Heavy hail, rain, lightning, and potentially tornadoes posed a threat to the mission. But, the King demanded "no storm will break this operation. Push forward."
     They'd come to Kingsport by Holston River in East Tennessee when the storm hit. The river had reached 23 meters above sea level in 2015; now in 2016, it was at 28 above, and was expected rise 5 more after the storm. Fortunately, there was a wooden levee built around the city during what seemed to be April of 2016. It blocked most of the water though there were wide cracks running through it. With all the protection, they were camped on the tallest buildings.
     At 11:15 PM, the storm hit. Their camping buildings shook and wobbled. Their armor, parked on ground floor, was battered by the hail and moved by the wind. Their rockets, tucked safely under tables and chairs, rocked back and forth, scaring the soldiers into thinking they were going to go off and kill everyone if the impact was hard enough. The Shadow King remained still, looking out a broken window with rain pouring in. His 3 Elites, Agile, Sharpshooter, and Brute, stood night-watch while the storm passed overhead.
October 7, 2016
     At 1:05 AM, debris knocked on the windows. The Sharpshooter went to survey it, and saw in the distant, illuminated by the lightning, a tornado on a path with their camps.
"Everyone out now!"
"What's the problem, Matthais? Can't handle a little weather?"
"Mein Fuhrer, there's a tornado approaching! We need to leave!"
"Don't worry of it; nature always changes. Go back to sleep. It's fine."
"Are you sure of it?"
"As long the Maus isn't thrown at us."
     3 minutes later, the King was proved wrong. One of the Maus tanks were lifted up by the close tornado and threw it into the location where the rockets were. It missed, but was dangerously close to destroying the building. With the idea that his men were going to jump off to escape the impending explosion, the King ordered an immediate evacuation of the premises. When asked about the rockets, he said, "We needn't worry about our current rockets. There are new ones being sent right now."
     Just as he finished his sentence, the building exploded and came crashing down, killing 203 Shadows either by falling debris or the explosion. The rest scattered as the tornado increased in power. To the King's attention, dozens screamed "For the Resistance!"
"Diese verdammten Verrater. Matthais, kill the traitors!"
No response.
"Matthais, kill them!"
No response still.
     Perhaps he couldn't hear him because of the tornado coming. Perhaps he's lost. Perhaps he and a thousand others have committed treason.
"Agile, where are you?"
(The Agile Elite has a name, but has memory loss of her name due to a severe concussion during the Battle of Sacramento; so, the King named her after her class.)
No response either.
"Rommel, where are you?"
"I'm over here!"
He was sat down by a crumbled stone wall with 3 holes in his abdomen.
"What happened to you?"
"I got shot by your Loyalists."
"They are no longer Loyalists. They have betrayed us both. All of them."
October 19, 2016
     The rest who ran from the King in Kingsport arrived in Jackson 2 weeks later with 74,797 soon-to-be Shadow Resistance members, featuring the Agile and Sharpshooter Elites.